The song of "Cristóbal Colón" suggested a story to our minds. We have attached an example of how we elaborate a song by writing a narrative to go with it. Clearly, your class could recite, sing, act out or dramatize a song that has a theme or content that meets your needs. Encourage creative writing around the subject of a song!

Cristofori Colombo

The son of weavers in Genoa, Cristofori Colombo never learned to read, write or speak Italiano until he was 18 years old. He always would rather travel than weave, so when he becam educated, he began to sail the Mediterranean Sea. He believed there was a better route to the East, but the Italianos would not help him. He lived in Portugal, but the Portugueses would not help him. Finally, he fell in love in España, learned Español, changed his name to Cristóbal Colón, got the support of the Queen, and sailed West to get to the East. The journey was longer than he expected, and there was another continent in the way. On 12 October 1492 the Carib people discover Columbus lost and hungry. They offer him food and water, and invite him to return. He returns with priests who change their ideas, merchants who enslave them, and soldiers who impose an alien culture and begin a new race, us, La Raza Cósmica.

CRISTOBAL COLON
Song by Dan Gómez, ®1990, Cantos Para Todos

There was this italiano, y el vato se llamaba Cristofori Colombo. He lived in a town on the coast, trabajando en el negocio de sus padres en Genoa. He was so busy, he never even learned to read, write, or speak italiano until he was eighteen years old. ¿Cuántos de ustedes ya saben hablar, leer, y escribir italiano? His parents were weavers, pero a él no le gustaba tejer. His family were merchants, pero a él no le gustaba vender. Quería al mar. He didn't want to sell, he really wanted to sail!
When he finally learned his second language, fué a hablar con los italianos, and he told them in his best italiano: "I think I can get to the East by sailing to the West" . They were so shocked, que no podían creerlo. Al pensarlo bien, they answered him like this: "Whats'a matter you, Cristofori Colombo, you got espaghetti between your earbones or something?"
Well, Cristofori had to leave town, así que se fué para el oeste. He sailed and sailed west until he arrived in Portugal, where he learned his third language, portugués: Bon día, ¿cómo vais? Bem, obrigado. Eu nau falo portugués. La razón porque se quedó en portugal long enough to learn portugués, was because he met a beautiful portuguesa. Leyó muchos libros, and talked to many people, and he sailed to the north para inglaterra, and he sailed to the south para áfrica, and se fué para el norte to Greenland, and he sailed and sailed, until something very sad happened: se le murió la señora. Estaba tan triste que se fué para otro país, españa. Do you know why he stayed in Spain long enough to learn his fourth language? because he met a beautiful española. Ahí cambiaron su nombre a Cristóbal Colón.
When he became proficient in his fourth language, he went to the Reina de España and said in his best español: "O bendita reina de todas la tierras, soberana divina de todos los mares, I think I can get to the east by sailing to the west." She was so shocked at the idea that she said: "Qué tiene este señor? ¡Cómo que no sabe de donde viene! ¡Cómo que no sabe a donde va! ¡Cómo que no sabe nada!
Well, since this was his fourth language, y no comprendía español muy bien, he thought she said, ¡cómo no! and that is how he ended up with tres caraveles: La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María.

So, they sailed for a long time. It happened something like this:

El navegante, Cristóbal Colón
buscaba, deseaba la ruta del mar.
El navegante, Cristóbal Colón
pensaba el mundo, "España" nombrar.
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.

Well, it was quite an adventure, following in the tradition of Marco Polo:

El aventurero, Cristóbal Colón
a Marco Polo trataba seguir.
El aventurero, Cristóbal Colón,
riquezas, marquezas, el buen porvenir.
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.

Well, it was quite a dangerous trip, but he was a great hero:

El héroe grande, Cristóbal Colón,
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María;
El héroe grande, Cristóbal Colón,
naves valientes, una noche fría.
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.
Bella, bella américa
doce de octubre, américa.

They sailed so long, y tardaban tanto en llegar, que no tenía comida, and not having any food they were hungry. They had traveled so many days, that there was no more water, y faltando de agua tenía sed. They were so disoriented, they did not know where they were, y andando errantes estaban perdidos.

El navegante, Cristóbal Colón,
creía, decía que asia veía.
El navegante, Cristóbal Colón,
Islas Caribes, América seguía
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
La Pinta, La Niña, La Santa María
Tierra, tierra, grito feliz
desde la Pinta un grito feliz:
Tierra, tierra, grito feliz
desde la Pinta un grito feliz.

Finally when things were at their worst, the Carib people discovered Columbus. Los caribes le dieron comida, because not having food, he was hungry. Los caribes le dieron agua, because not having water, he was thirsty. Los caribes le dieron amistad, because not knowing where he was andaba perdido.
Pero cuando se despidieron de él, cometieron un error que cambió para siempre la vida de ellos. Who knows what they said when he left that changed their lives forever, so now there are hardly any Carib people left? They said, "Ya'll come back, now". Who knows why that changed their lives forever? Cambió para siempre su vida porque sí, regresaron, and when they came back they brought merchants who enslaved them, y sufrieron de la esclavitud de los mercaderes. They brought preachers who changed them, y los ministros no permitían las tradiciones indígenas. And they brought soldiers who killed them if they did not conform, y los soldados no tuvieron misericordia.
Even today, you must be careful about who you choose for your friends. Si sus "amigos" le invitan a hacer algo que le meterá en problemas, sugiera otra actividad. You won't get in trouble if you work to do good things with good friends...
We go on from this start to tell other stories that are appropriate for the concept. For example, other stories about friends, trouble, stranger danger, drugs, geography, agriculture, or any other topic that can be tied to the theme of Cristóbal Colón. We wish you the best in helping your students understand the good and bad that can result from cross cultural encounters and pray that your students can make their encounters more positive than what happened in the 16th Century in the Americas. When the Carib people discovered Columbus wandering in the open sea, they rescued him in good faith, but maybe they should have been more alert to the potential dangers by learning more about him and his people.

Story Telling Ideas | Ideas Para Cuentos